Community Solar Farm Energized in Sandwich, Kendall County, Illinois: Nearly 7,500 Panels to Generate Over 8 Million kWh a Year
A new community solar farm has come online in the city of Sandwich in Kendall County, Illinois. Generate Capital and TurningPoint Energy held a ribbon-cutting for the facility on October 20, with the announcement released on October 21. The 3.5-megawatt (AC) facility spans approximately 23 acres and features nearly 7,500 solar panels, and is expected to generate more than 8 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. It is the first facility to come online in the companies' eight-project, 34.5-megawatt Illinois community solar portfolio, and one of the first community solar projects in Kendall County developed through the state's Illinois Shines program. The project was developed by TurningPoint Energy and is financed, built, owned and operated by Generate Capital. Its power serves customers in ComEd's service territory, with 90 local subscribers already signed up, including residents and small businesses, and dedicated capacity set aside for low-income households. The community solar model allows customers who cannot install rooftop panels to share in a solar farm and receive utility bill savings. Peggy Flannery, Managing Director of Investments at Generate Capital, said community solar is a great example of how sustainable infrastructure can deliver immediate, tangible benefits to the communities it serves. The companies said the full portfolio is expected to deliver nearly $70 million in projected electricity cost savings to Illinois subscribers over its operating life. Local officials, community members and project partners attended the ribbon-cutting.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：地面光伏电站阵列航拍（社区太阳能电站资料图，非本项目实拍）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，作者 AllTheUsernamesAreInUse。
